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Growing vegetables can be a real joy for those who are willing to put in a lot of effort. Even in years when the crop is poor, a $5 tomato that you grow yourself is worth more than dollars and cents. So what to do if the harvest is not very good or the potatoes have holes? Leader
Contamination by pests may be responsible.
What are wireworms?
Wireworms are the larvae of nutcracker beetles, long black or gray beetles with almost rib-like wings. If you scratch them, they make annoying clicking noises, especially when they rotate. Adult nutcrackers do not pose much of a threat or danger to gardeners and are therefore usually left to fend for themselves.
How do you know cable workers?
Dratiaks are pretty easy to spot. Larvae live in the soil as beetle larvae, but have a stronger body and are usually smaller than their counterparts. About half an inch to two inches long, with a slender body and yellow to brown color, they resemble the larvae of other beetles, but are rarely confused with, say, Japanese beetle larvae.
What attracts wireworms to the garden?
If you take a good look around your garden, you will see many nutcrackers simply running wild and living their best lives. It is the parents of the threads that can cause a lot of problems. Nutcracker beetles are very mobile, but they lay their eggs near the roots of weeds or grass plants because they are an excellent host for wireworms.
To be honest: the wireworms are already in the garden. Nothing led them there; This is her nursery. If your garden is new, mowed, or tends to be grass and weeds when not in use, it is an ideal environment for wireworms to thrive.
Dangers of wireworms in the garden
Wireworms do not pose a direct threat to humans, but they can be an absolute menace in the garden. These voracious eaters feed on the roots of many agricultural plants, especially root crops, maize and legumes, damaging stems and completely destroying shoots.
Wireworms follow holes in sewer pipes as they feed on large root crops such as potatoes. This behavior attracts other microorganisms to the vegetable and contributes to further damage and decay.
How to deal with wireworms in the garden
Once wireworms have established themselves in your garden, it can be very difficult to get rid of them. Since they live as larvae for three to five years, it may take some time for the infestation to be removed. And many practices that improve your garden will only increase wireworm numbers, such as using cover crops to encourage more organic matter to grow.
Fortunately, serious outbreaks are rare and can usually be treated once you recognize the problem. After digging up the soil in the spring, you can check for wireworms by burying large carrots or potatoes under the soil and digging every few days. If you have wireworms, they will be included in your potato piece bait. It's a good sign to end up somewhere else.
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How to scare wireworms
Wireworm is not easy to control, but strict crop rotation can prevent serious outbreaks of wireworm colonies . Maintaining good drainage in the garden and controlling weeds throughout the year will keep the area welcoming.
You can even go further and avoid growing your favorite vegetables like carrots, parsnips, melons, cucumbers, leeks, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn in areas with damage or high wireworm infestations. found. . Inspect the garden every year before planting, use potato traps and replant vulnerable plants after the number of wireworms caught has significantly decreased.
Natural remedies to prevent threadworms
There aren't many good nematodes, but improving drainage by amending garden soil is a good start. Also, keep weeds and plants clean and away from the garden, as these are the places where wood sorrel beetles choose to lay their eggs. Seed rotation is critical to success in interacting with these garden inhabitants.
Pesticides are usually ineffective against wireworms in gardens, and their use often reduces the number of natural enemies that eat problem children. Avoid it at all costs. If the population is unreasonable, you can trap the wireworm by placing potatoes and carrots under the soil. However, if you are used to fighting it, it is a very tedious process.
